Make sure it is in the contract...

Jason Submitted this review about Fast Track Auto Carriers
Review made Live: 10/10/2015 9:23:00 AM
Under-the-gun to ship a car, I submitted my telephone number to a car-carrier website and soon received calls from several transport companies. Terry from FastTrack called to educate me on how the car transport system works, explaining that it is the amount of $$ posted to a transport site which attracts a truck and driver to you. Supposedly, $900 will get you a desperate driver next month or $1200 will get you a driver sooner. I was told FastTrack had the lowest brokerage fee at $110.00 and I found that to be true at the time of my brief research. Terry advised me there were 5 trucks “in my area” and that my car could be picked up as early as the same day (Friday, July 10), but no later than Monday, July 13th which was my deadline since I had a flight to catch on the evening of the 13th.

The reason for my negative review is the fact that I was verbally guaranteed pickup of my car no later than Monday, July 13th. During the same conversation with Terry, being the skeptical person I am, I asked a second time about the “guaranteed” worst-case pickup date, and she confirmed it was “July 13th”.

A little while after e-signing the contract and payment of the $110 brokerage fee, FastTrack provided me with the phone number of the driver. Calling the driver, I learned my car would be picked up on…wait for it…Tuesday, July 14th. Calling to vent my frustration was a pointless waste of time, as they were paid only $110 for their services and are not about to take flak from a customer. Derek runs the company, and he told me flat-out: The contract does not guarantee a pickup date and anything his mother guaranteed on the phone is irrelevant. The actual brokerage fee wound up being $250 for me ($110 + $140 airline ticket change fee).

Bottom Line: Regardless of what is said during a telephone conversation, all that matters is in the contract you sign. If you are given a verbal guarantee, ask for it to be added to the contract; if they won’t do that, you know they are just saying whatever you need to hear so you will sign their contract any pay them the crummy $110 brokerage fee. Read the contract.